Michael Rooker only landed his Guardians of the Galaxy role because he was suddenly killed off on The Walking Dead

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Michael Rooker only landed his Guardians of the Galaxy role because he was suddenly killed off on The Walking Dead News By Bradley Russell published 2 February 2026

The Yondu actor initially couldn't pull double duty with The Walking Dead

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Michael Rooker has revealed the sliding doors moment that allowed him to work with long-time collaborator James Gunn on the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

"[Gunn] wanted me to do the role. He wrote it with me in mind. We were planning on it," Rooker told Brandon Davis regarding the character of Yondu, the dangerous, whistling Ravager leader who took Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) under his wing. Unfortunately for Rooker, he was currently a major part of AMC series The Walking Dead as redneck Merle Dixon.

"Then we realized, oh no – The Walking Dead and Guardians of the Galaxy are filming at the same time. [Guardians] is in London, [The Walking Dead] is in south Atlanta. It's not gonna happen," Rooker said.

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Gunn then had phone call discussions with Rooker over a "small role" instead of Yondu. Then, in a moment of serendipity, the phone rang once more "after the door closed" on Guardians of the Galaxy.

"A minute later, I get called [by] an AMC producer. 'Oh no, they're killing me off? Absolutely, I won't tell a soul. That's just the way it is.'... If they hadn't killed me off when they decided to kill me off, I wouldn't have been able to do Yondu," Rooker recalled.

But the deal wasn't quite sealed. As Rooker tells it, Gunn hadn't yet spoken to Marvel about Yondu's casting to get the green light.

Of course, it all ended well for Rooker. Yondu became a highlight of the first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies, bringing in an unlikely beating heart that characterized Gunn's wildly successful MCU trilogy.

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For more, check out all the latest on Gunn's DC exploits with our guide to DCU Chapter One and upcoming DC movies. On the Marvel side, there's a look ahead to upcoming Marvel movies, including Avengers: Doomsday.

TOPICS Disney Marvel Studios Bradley RussellSocial Links Navigation

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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